Steering apparatus for automobiles.



E. RUEGAMER.

STEEHINGAPPARATUS Foa AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE l5. 191i.

1,251,11 1. Patented Dec. 25,1917.-

Nv'ENTon ATTOR N EY Emana nimeer/inn, or La rairiarrn, nanterre.

STEERING .APrAnerUs'roR AU'TirofnrLns; `y

Specification of Letters Patent. i PtmtBd D190 ,25, 1917;V

Application mea :rune 15, 1917. serialize-174,998. -V

To @ZZ/whom 'it mayconcernf c i Be it known that I, ELMnn RUEGAMER, a citizen of the United States,` residingatLa Fayette, in the county of rIippecanoe and tate of Indiana, have invented certainI new and useful Improvements 1n Steering- Apparatus for Automobiles, of kwhich. the following 1s a specification.A

Thisv invention relates to steering appa` ratus for4 automobiles.

The object of the invention to providey a simply constructed and ecient apparatus of this character carried bythe ordinary steering tube or column so constructed rasto be very sensitive, thus adapting the steeringzwheels ,of the machinezwith which the'. apparatus is connected to respond instantaneously toa slight turn of the controlling Awheel carried by the steering post or` col umn.

yWith the foregoing and other objects view,`whcl1 will appear as the descriptionV proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l represents a longitudinal section through the front part ofthe chassis of an automobile with parts broken away to show the location of the steering apparatus, the latter being shown in sidev elevation,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the device constituting thisinvention, n

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a side elevation taken from the side opposite that shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the circular plates.

In the embodiment illustrated, a portion of an automobile frame Fis shown together with the front aXle A and one of the front steering wheels WV, the frame being partly broken away. The wheels as lV are provided with the usual steeringl knuckles as SK having steering arms as SA extending rearwardly and connected by a horizontal steering rod SR. A pitman or steering arm Sa is pivotally connected with the rod SR in the usual manner. All of the above described parts are of ordina-ry construction such as areusually found on various'types offautomobiles andform; no part of this -invention,'but are designed to be used incon. nection .withnthe invention and controlled' thereby. f Y A l' f.. The steering mechanism constituting this invention comprises a housingor casing f1- carried bythe steering .tube or post STv and which-latter `is equipped with the Vusual steering wheelSl/V. k1

rTliis. casin'g'l is composed of ltwo sections 2 and 8 which are substantially rectangularl infor-mand areiprovided =on their meetin g Afaces with laterally extending l apertured flanges, as which are' connected by-fbolts: asf whenthe parts. are assembledL f i This housing 1 Ais provided: inn its 'upper Y and lower ends VAwith. .bearings .6 and 7 'through which the steering tube-STfisdel*` signed4 tov extend, saidvhousing'being connected Yto A vthe vtube by means of -a nut' 8 and at its rearf is connectedto across bar' (not shown) of '-tliezfra'me "F.i-vCarried byuthe steering column or tube ST within the Vhousing 1 are leftandright Worms 10 and ll with'which isrienga-ged a split nutk '12Vso" V threaded that when 'the rsteering post isY turned, one lhalf or section of the nut will be actuated by the left hand worm andthe other half. bythe right hand worm to adapt the sections to'move longitudinally in 'opposite directions within the' casing 1. The y sections-.13 and 111 of-this split nut '12 are-V provided on their kopposite faces with, longitudinally' extending guides 15- in the form of ribs which are designed to slide in guides l'formed on 'the'opposite side walls ofthe `lhousing 1, said guides being preferably formed by providing ribs 16 and 17 on the sections 2 and 3 of the casing adjacenttheir meeting edges, said ribs being spaced apart a distance corresponding to the width 0f the ribs 15 whereby the nut sections are held in operative position and guided in their longitudinal movement.

The nut sections 13 and 14C have circular recesses 18 in one face in transverse alinement with each other when the parts of the nut are in normal inoperative position and truncated on their adjacent faces and whichy are designed to receive circular plates 19 and; 2O which have recesses 21 in their outer, faces to receive a cross bar 22, which fits in,

that on the movement,-'ofglthenut sections-V in opposite directions caused by the turning of the steering tube l, SVT thS bill"A Willbe oscillated.

bar 22 midway the ends thereof and extends through a, sleeve 2d carried by the casing.

section 3, said arm 23 constituting a rocking element for the pitman or; steering-arm Saand by means of which the steering Wheels asV` Fare controlled.

' *A ball'bearingfQ is arranged between the upperend of the steering post or tube ST andthe nut Stovprovide forV thefree turning. ofI said vpost Without binding.- engagement With the casing.

v. The post -or tube ST may; beradjusted to turn with moreor lesseaseby adjusting the nutsy 8,v it being/understood'that When/it is desired to tightenupthe fpost andrprevent it from turning freely thatthenut will bel screwed,inwardlyfand ito loosen-dt, itwvill 'rbe screwed out.

In the operation ofV this apparatus, the, parts. beingfinthev position. shown in Fig.v

l, it. Will be obviousthatl a turn imparted.V by the driverv to the steeringvwheel SW Will' operatethrouglrithewvorm carried by the steering tube- ST' to move-.one of the nut sectionsupfandfthe other' down Within the cas.v ing-1, thereby', causing .bar 22 to rock and vim-y part itsmovement to the crank arm 23 and through thevpitmanor steering arm Sa .turnthe steering-Wheelsias I/Vin the direction desired.,l

From the foregoingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying draw ings, the advantages of the. construction and ofthe methodzof operation Will be readily apparent to those skilled 'in the art to which thevinvention appertainsand Whilel I have described theprincipleof operation of they invention together With thedevicewhich IV now consider' to be.` the best embodiment,V thereof, I desire to have it understoodthat the .device shown is merely illustrativeand- Genies-01111715 patent fmay-,be obtansidjm A crank armQS is fiXed'to and projects laterally at rights angles,fromthen malinoperativefpositiom said Arecesses bein-g truncated on their adjacent faces, circularJ plates disposed in. saidiece-sses, said plates having recesses in theirV outerv faces, across ban fitting in said recesses andV adaptedy to be rocked on the turning oflsa-id platesin opposite directions, and-a crank armextending atf'right: ang-les from saidY bar midway thetends thereof:

2. Steering apparatusv of the class `de scribed 1Vincludingla'aA steering tube,a casing; through which said'tubev-extends right and leftAWoi-'ms onsaid tube Within saidcasing, a.split nutmountedato slide in said casing With the members thereof engaging said Worms and movable in opposite directions on the.turni1iglv of said tube, a tubulanbearing .extendlng from one side Wall ofdsaid cas? ingv and-communicating therewith, saidnutl members :ha-ving. 1 registering recesses Y in oneV side Wall, a crossbar, plates carried-bythe endsof said crossbar and mounted in said? recesses, a ycra-nk shaft f projecting;v laterally from said cross barunidwayitsk ends,Y and! means actuated by said crankisliaft' for steering the f .Wheels 1 of a vehicle;l

In testimony WhereofI'afliX. mysignature in. ypresence, of tivo: Witnesses.. v

ELMERj RUEGAMERQ Witnesses l Cri-As.` E. ERB, JOHN DI: Gronden;

ye lcents each, by addresshlg;the` Gommissionwfiflattnm, was);ington'L-Dr(Iii` 

